Cured cognac whips

Chill the beef (1.1 kg) well and pass it through a meat grinder with the finest grater. Freeze the fat (150 g) slightly and cut it into small cubes of about 1 cm.

Crush the green peppercorns (1 g) in a mortar with nutmeg (1 g), curing salt (21 g), and crystal sugar (4 g).

Curing salt and crystal sugar are important for the dry-cured product: they help with color, flavor, maturation, and safe storage. Do not increase their amount beyond the specified weight.

Combine the cold minced meat, slightly frozen fat, spice mixture, and cognac (20 g). Knead the mixture vigorously for about 10 minutes, grinding and compacting the mass. Ensure that the temperature of the mixture does not rise above 10 °C; it is better to keep it between 7-8 °C.

Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

Soak the natural casing (1 piece) in room temperature water for 20-30 minutes, then gently squeeze out the water with your fingers.

Slide the casing onto the sausage stuffer and fill it with the mixture in one long piece. Then divide it into small sausages about 7-8 cm long and tie them with smooth synthetic thread without fluff.

Hang the sausages in a dry, cool place. The temperature should not exceed 15 °C, preferably 10-12 °C. Do not place the sausages near radiators or in a damp area.

Dry the sausages for about 10 days at a stable cool temperature. Without crystal sugar, drying may take about 15 days.

The finished dry-cured sausages should become firm and noticeably dry. Store them in the refrigerator, slicing thinly before serving.